Battle of Langport, 10 July 1645

Battle towards the end of the First Civil War. George Goring, in charge of Charles I's Western army, was faced by Fairfax, Cromwell and the New Model Army. He managed to manoeuvre them into a position where they had to attack him in a very strong position if they wished to prevent him escaping with his equipment. In broken country, the only roads were narrow, sunken lanes, at this time of year almost tunnels under thick foliage. Goring was in position at the end of one of these lanes, waterlogged, with only room for two cavalry at once to come up the lane, and bordered by thick thorn hedges, in which Goring put his musketeers, while his two cannons were at the head of the lane. However, he was greatly outnumbered, and picked bands of Parliamentary musketeers slowly fought their way along the thorn hedges, while a cavalry charge reached Goring's horse. Although they were repulsed, their attack gave the Parliamentary infantry time to break through into open land, from where they attacked Goring in the flanks. This broke the Royalist cavalry, and Cromwell and his Ironsides chased them though Langport, and half way to Bridgwater. Fairfax captured 2,000 men and 1,500 horses after the battle, and although Goring was able to escape with his guns, and most of his infantry, he virtually abandoned the fight.

The English Civil War , Richard Holmes & Peter Young, an early work by one of the country's best known military historians, this is a superb single volume history of the war, from its causes to the last campaigns of the war and on to the end of the protectorate.